Mobile to receive $386,000 federal grant to jumpstart restoration of Three Mile Creek

Updated on Apr 21, 2015 at 05:29 PM CDT

The U.S. Interior Department awarded the city of Mobile a grant to turn areas along Three Mile Creek into a greenway. Local, state and federal officials tour Three Mile Creek in Mobile, Ala. Friday, Mar 16, 2012. (Press-Register file photo)

The city of Mobile will receive a six-figure grant from the federal government to begin a long-awaited overhaul of the areas along Three Mile Creek. The waterway has been
beset by issues with trash and other debris
, despite efforts to clean it up multiple times every year.

The $386,000 in grant funds would allow the city to begin converting the area that runs through Springhill and downtown Mobile into a 12-mile greenway. Plans include a .75-mile trail, park benches, lighting and signage.

The money comes from the Department of Interior, which has redistributed revenue earned from offshore oil and gas royalties to communities around the country for the last 50 years.

"This is a monumental step toward restoring Three Mile Creek to its historic significance in our city," Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in a prepared statement.

"Three Mile Creek was Mobile's drinking water source before World War II, and now it can once again connect communities throughout Mobile. This new trail will encourage fitness, beautify a vital waterway and educate citizens."

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Parks Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis announced the winners Tuesday. The competitive grants would award a total of $3 million to eight different cities for parks and recreation purposes.

"We are reinvesting revenues from offshore oil and gas development into parks and open spaces, giving back a portion of what we have taken from our lands and waters," Jewell said in a press release.

"These investments will bring badly needed outdoor spaces and recreational opportunities to urban areas where people - especially young people - will benefit from improved places for healthy outdoor activities."

Other cities that also received funds were Detroit, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Denver, Bridgeport, Conn., Madison, Wis., and Portland, Ore.

Update:
This report was updated to include comments from Mayor Sandy Stimpson on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 4:29 p.m.